Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 26100.3025 to Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11 24H2. The update encompasses new features and enhancements, categorized into two sections: gradual rollout and normal rollout.

The gradual rollout encompasses enhancements to the taskbar, Windows Studio Effects, and Fonts. The enhancements to taskbar previews and animations are notable, and an icon is displayed in the system tray when utilizing an application that is compatible with Windows Studio Effects. The standard rollout encompasses resolutions for problems related to domains, mouse cursors, the Pinyin Input Method Editor (IME), snipping tool screenshots, Task Manager, Microsoft Excel 2016, and watchdog timeout errors.

Releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.3025 to the Release Preview Channel

Hello Windows Insiders, today we’re releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.3025 (KB5050094) to Insiders in the Release Preview Channel on Windows 11, version 24H2 (Build 26100). Below is a summary of the new features and improvements included as part of this update separated into two sections: gradual rollout and normal rollout. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change we are documenting.

Gradual rollout

The following features and improvements might not be available to all users because they will roll out gradually. Text bolded in brackets indicate the area of the change being documented.

• [Taskbar] New! This update improves the previews that show when your cursor hovers over apps on the taskbar. The update also improves their animations.

• [Windows Studio Effects] New! An icon will appear in the system tray when you use an app that supports  Windows Studio Effects. This only occurs on a device that has a neural processing unit (NPU). Select the icon to open the Studio Effects page in Quick Settings. To view the app that is using the camera, hover over the icon for a tooltip.

• [Fonts] New! This update adds Simsun-ExtG, a new simplified Chinese font. It includes the Biangbiang noodles character. Some apps might not be able to display these new extension characters yet. The font has 9,753 ideographs that support Unicode Extensions  G,  H, and  I. See the list below.
  • Unicode range G 30000-3134A (4,939 chars)
  • Unicode range H 31350-323AF (4,192 chars)
  • Unicode range I 2EBF0-2EE5D (622 chars)

• [File Explorer] 
  • New! You now have quick access to items that others have shared with you. Shared items include files, emails, Teams chats, and more. To view them, you must use a Microsoft account or a Microsoft Entra ID account to sign in to Windows. To view these shared items, go to the File Explorer Home page and choose the Shared tab. If you use a Microsoft Entra ID account to sign in, you have more viewing choices. You will see the files that you have shared with others. Also, the Recent, Favorites, and Shared sections of the page will show a broader set of file types.
  • New! When you right-click items in the left pane, the “New Folder” command appears on the context menu.
  • Fixed: After you do a search, that search might repeat when you don’t want it to.
  • Fixed: The date and time properties of a file might update after you copy it.
  • Fixed: Icons on the details pane might not update as you expect when you change a theme. This makes it hard to view the change when you switch between dark and light themes.
  • Fixed: The search box might lose input focus as you type.

• [Mobile hotspot] New! The Windows Mobile Hotspot now supports 6 GHz connections. This new band requires chips that support the feature and updated drivers. The chips that support 6 GHz Wi-Fi might not support the 6 GHz mobile hotspot. To view this new band, go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot. In the Network properties section, select Edit. To work with existing devices, the mobile hotspot will only use 6 GHz when you enable it.

• [Settings] New! You can change time zones in Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time. You don’t have to be an admin to make this change.

• [Domains] Fixed: A device might fail to join a domain.

• [Mouse]
  • Fixed: The mouse cursor might disappear. This occurs when you hover over text fields in certain applications.
  • Fixed: If you turn on pointer trails, the mouse cursor becomes transparent, and a black box appears behind it.
  • Fixed: The mouse cursor might stutter when it moves across the screen. This occurs even when the system is not using a lot of resources.

• [Pinyin Input Method Editor (IME)] Fixed: When you switch app windows, the IME language might change from Chinese to English.

• [Snipping Tool] Fixed: Snipping Tool screenshots might be distorted. This occurs when you use two or more monitors that have different display scaling.

• [Task Manager] Fixed: It takes too long to close after you close the app.

• [Microsoft Excel 2016] Fixed: When you open certain files, Excel opens, but the screen might remain on the loading screen.

• [Dam.sys] Fixed: A watchdog timeout error might occur when your PC resumes from sleep.

• [Windows update installation] Fixed: Cumulative updates might not install. The error code is 0x800736b3. This occurs after a feature on demand fails to install.

Normal rollout

This update includes the following features and improvements that are rolling out as part of this update. Text bolded in brackets indicates the area of the change being documented.

• [Windows Backup] New! You will now have a standard Windows 11 taskbar after restoring from a backup via the Windows Setup experience (OOBE) on a new Windows PC. You can still find your apps in the Start menu and Search and pin apps you want to your taskbar. This change is not yet rolling out in the EEA (European Economic Area).

• [High dynamic range (HDR)] Fixed: The display of some games appears oversaturated. This occurs when you use Auto HDR.

Releasing Windows 11 Build 26100.3025 to the Release Preview Channel